Planning Responses to Global Restructuring: Implications for Major Korean Cities

Abstract

The global restructuring of world capitalism is so influential that no city or region remains unaffected. In Korea, the multifaceted economic, social, and spatial restructuring could provide an opportunity for the economic growth of some cities, while for others they present a challenge to the planning profession. This paper first examines the process of fundamental restructuring that has been taking place at the global level. It then evaluates the internal and external strains that restructuring has exerted on major Korean cities. Based on the urban pressures, various problems and policy issues that face urban policy-makers are discussed. The paper is an attempt to link macro logic at the global level global restructuring-to the micro logic of planning policy at the city and regional level. It is based on the firm belief that a thorough understanding of ongoing structural changes is required for Korean cities to cope with the contemporary process of global restructuring.